Safety razor



May 20, 1930. J, MUROS 1,758,963

SAFETY RAZOR Filed May 18, 1928 INVEETOR A ATTORNEY I Patented May 20, 1930 JOSEPH MUSE-S, on NEW YORK, 1v. Y.

SAFETY RAZOR 7 Application filed May 18,

The present invention relates to improvements in safety razors, and has particular reference to the guard element thereof and the means for retaining the blade in operati-ve relation to the said element.

The main object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple arrangement of the guard and supporting means, that is to say to generally simplify the construction and thereby to make it less expensive to man ufacture than any one of the constructions heretofore in use.

With these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the combination, arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it

being understood that many changes may be made in the size and proportion of the several parts and details of construction within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Two of the many possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which v V Figure 1 is a side elevation of a safety razor constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof with the blade removed; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device, the blade being also removed; Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 441 5 of Fig. 1, on a larger scale; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the improved razor, the blade being removed therefrom; Fig. 6 is an el vation similar to the one shown in Fig. 1, partly in section, of a modified construction;

and Fig. 7 is a plan iew of a razor blade used in conjunction with the construction shown in'Fig. 6 of the drawings.

Referring now first to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, of the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a portion of a razor handle, the upper headcarrying section 11 of which is reduced in diameter, although this is not essential. Both sections of the handle are illustrated in the drawings as being cylindrical, but it is obvious that they may be polygonal in trans- 1928. Serial No. 278,694.

verse cross-section, according to the require ments.

The razor head, comprising a guard element, the means for supporting the blade in operative relation to the said element and the mechanism for clamping or retaining the blade'in such operative relation, is'made, preferably, of one single piece of wire, that is somewhat yielding or resilient and attached to the handle section 11 in any preferred manner. This wire should be of a gauge and should be of a material which renders it suficiently stiff to provide a rigid immovable structure as far as the body portion of the razor head is concerned, but permits its free ends to yield for a purpose hereinafter to be described. The wire, when bent into shape to constitute a razor head, includes a central straight section 12, the length of which exceeds somewhat that of the blade 13, and has mounted thereon or made integral therewith, for instance by stamping operations, a pair of lugs 14, spaced apart a distance that is somewhat less than the length of the razor blade. These lugs project above the said straight section 12 and include each a blade cutting-edge supporting surface 15 and an upwardly and rearwardly extending portion 16, which is adapted to overlie one end of the cutting edge 17 of the blade. When the blade is in engagement with these lugs, it is held in shaving position upon the razor head, its cutting edge being spaced from the straight portion 12 of the head a distance necessary to obtain a proper shave. The said straight portion 12 forms thus a guard for the said cutting edge. Beyond the said guard the wire is bent at both ends of the guard in rear of the latter into substantially semi-- circular shape, as shown at 18, and thence in the plane of the guard in converging relation, as indicated at 19. Thence the wire extends, at both ends of the converging portions 19, upwards at an acute angle to the said eonverging portions, as indicated at 20. The portions 20 extend substantially in parallel relation to one another,,are spaced apart and adapted to be seated in grooves 21 in the head carrying section 11 of the handle, the said grooves being formed in diametrically opposite portions of the section 11 and extend at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the latter. Beyond the portions 20, the wire is bent in opposite directions, as indicated at 22, in substantially parallel relation to the guard 12, and its ends or terminals 23 extended upwards and at an angle toward the guard 12. Each wire terminal is provided with a notch 24, which faces the lugs 14 above referred to.

The terminals 23 of the razor head are somewhat yielding and the notches 2 1 are dis posed at a distance from the blade cuttingedge supporting lugs 14, when the blade is not mounted on the head, which is somewhat less than the width of the razor blade. The notches are adapted to receive the back of the blade.

The blade is of the rigid type and may be either flat or hollow ground. If fiat, its back may be reinforced by a binding strip 26, as usual in constructions of this type. The rear edge 27 of the said strip is, preferably, rounded for convenient seating in the notches 24-.

The head may be secured to the handle by solder, or it may be welded thereto in any suitable manner, or any other preferred or suitable attaching means may be used for this purpose. In uniting the elements of the device, obviously, the portions 20 of the head are first seated in the grooves 21 in the head receiving section 11 of the handle, the said grooves extending, preferably, at such an angle to the longitudinal axis of the handle so as to bring the guard 12 and the converging sections 19 of the wire in a. plane extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the handle, although this is not essential. After the head is engaged with the said grooves, it is soldered, welded or otherwise secured to the head.

Normally, that is to say when the blade is not mounted on the head, the free end portions of the terminals 23 project toward the lugs on the guard a distance which is somewhat less than the width of the blade. In mounting a blade on the razor head, the

cutting edge of the blade is placed onto the lugs 14: of the guard 12 and the razor back brought into engagement with the terminals 23 of the said head. When now the said back is forced downwards toward the handle, first the said terminals are caused to swing outwards in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, swinging back as the razor back is seated in the notches above referred to, whereby the blade is held in position by virtue of the yielding properties of the said terminals. Inasmuch as these terminals have a considerable amount of spring, it is obvious that the blade may be conveniently removed from the razor head for stropping or replacing. The flexibility of the terminals 23 not only provides for the insertion and withdrawal of the blade, but

affords means for mounting blades on the razor head in case such blades are slightly below or somewhat above normal size. It is to be noted, however, that in such case the relation of the cutting edge of the blade to the guard will not be changed. In other words, the same shave may be obtained with blades of normal size and those which are undersized or oversized in width.

As appears from Fig. 1 of the drawings, the blade 13 is disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the razor handle. This angle obviously depends on the distance between the level of the lugs let and the notches 24, This angle, of course, may be selected in accordance with the requirements, and should, obviously be such as to insure a proper angular position of the blade against the surface to be shaved.

A modification of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, differing from the one above described only in that the razor handle is provided with means cooperating with means on the blade for preventing longitudinal shifting of the blade on the razor head. This means comprises an extension 28 on the handle section 11, which is adapted to be seated in a perforation 29 in the blade. The free end 30 of the extension is, preferably, bent forwards toward the guard 12, it extending substantially at right angles to the razor blade, when the latter is in position on the razor head. The perforation 29, although shown in the dra wings as extending through the back of the razor blade, may be provided in any other portion of the blade, preferably, in the transverse center line of the latter. In mounting a blade on this razor head, after the cutting edge has been seated on the lugs 14, the free end 30 of the handle extension 28 is seated in the perforation 29 and thereafter the back of the blade seated in the notches 24. The blade is thus effectively prevented against longitudinal movement on the razor head. Of course, instea d of the aperture 29, a notch may be provided in the back of the blade for co-operation with an extension on the handle, for the purpose specified.

The advantages of the construction herein described are not only simplicity and ease of manufacture, but consist also in that an entirely open head is obtained, so that the razor head may be conveniently rinsed under a faucet for cleaning purposes. Attention is called to the fact that cavities, recesses and nooks are entirely missing in the construction, so that lather cannot collect on the razor head. Consequently the said head can be easily cleaned and dried. Another advantage of the construction consists in that the blades may be conveniently and quickly mounted thereon and detached therefrom, in addition to the fact that variations in the width of the blade are taken care of.

It is obvious that, while herein the razor head has been described as being made of one single piece, the same may be constructed of a number of pieces, rigidly connected to the handle, without departing from the invention, which lies mainly in the provision of a razor guard provided with blade supporting elements which co-operate with yielding blade clamping means, adapted to swing toward and away from said blade supporting elements.

What I claim is 1- 1. A safety razor comprising a handle, and a head mounted thereon made of a single piece of wire and including a straight central portion for co-operation with the cutting edge of a razor blade, means on said straight portion adapted to support the blade and for spacing its cutting edge from said straight portion, yielding terminals co-operating'with the back of the blade and adapted to swing toward and away from said supporting means for yieldingly gripping the blade, and intermediate sections engaging said handle and attached to the latter, and an extension on said handle for engagement with the blade to prevent longitudinal shifting of the latter on said head.

2. A safety razor comprising a handle, and a head mounted thereon made of a single piece of wire and including a straight central portion for co-operation with the cutting edge of a razor blade, two lugs on said straight portion adapted to engage said cutting edge and including each a portion overlying said cutting edge and a portion engaging the under face of the blade to support the same in shaving position, yielding ter1ninals co-operating with the back of the blade and adapted to swing toward and away from said supporting means for yieldinglygripping the blade, and intermediate sections engaging said handle and attached to the latter, and an extension on said handle for engagement with the blade to prevent longitudinal shifting of the latter on said head.

3. A safety razor comprising a handle, and a head mounted thereon made of a single piece of wire and including a straight central portion for co-operation with the cutting edge of a razor blade, means on said straight portion adapted to support the blade and for spacing its cutting edge from said straight portion, yielding terminals co-operatingwith 5 :1 the back of the blade and adapted to swing toward and away from said supporting means for yieldingly gripping the blade, and intermediate sections engaging said handle and attached to the latter, and an extension on said handle adapted to be seated in an aperture in said blade for preventing longitudinal movement of the latter on said head.

4. A safety razor comprising a handle, and a head mounted thereon made of a single piece of wire and including a straight centralportion for co-operation with the cutting edge of a razor blade, two lugs on said straight portion adapted to engage said cutting edge and including each a portion overlying said cutting edge and a portion engaging the underface of the blade to support the same in shaving position, yielding terminals co-op crating with the back of the blade and adapted to swing toward and away from said sup- Eorting means for yieldingly gripping the lade, intermediate sections engaging said handle and attached to the latter, and an extension on said handle adapted to be seatedin an aperture in said blade for preventing Longitudinal movement of the latter on said ea Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 3rd day of May, A. D. 1928.

JOSEPH MUROS. 

